Communication Gaps and a Trampoline

We bought a trampoline.

Yes, yes we did - despite the fact my husband has ALWAYS been absolutely-dead-set-against-ever-owning-one. (Apparently this is very normal for doctors to refuse to own a trampoline - they "have seen too many injuries from them in the hospital.")

I paid $100 for the 14' trampoline with a safety enclosure, (uh-huh, craigslist). My husband was in the operating room at the time. I went ahead and bought it without consulting him because three days earlier I had asked him, "If I find a trampoline with a safety enclosure for a good deal, is it okay if I get it?" and he did not immediately say 'no' before we moved on to another topic. This is the conversation after I told him I had bought one:

Husband: "Well, just don't get upset when I buy a boat someday and forget to tell you about it."
Me: "Ha ha." (He knows I think boats are a huge waste of money, not to mention a pain to keep clean if you own one, and that I never want one.)
Husband: "I'm serious. I can't believe you bought a trampoline, when you knew I never wanted one."
Me: "Remember the other night though, when I asked you about buying one with a safety enclosure, and you DIDN'T say no?"
Husband: "But, don't all of the other 100 times that I said 'no' matter at all?"
Me: "Well, no."
Husband: "Well, that's okay, I'll just use this to buy my boat."
Me: "Okay, you can buy your boat - for $100."
Husband: "Well, no, we're going on principle here."
Me: "No, let's make it fair. I deserve it. You can buy your boat someday - for $100 or for 1/500 of your income, whichever you'd like. And, I'll be okay with that."

I won't go into his response. BUT, we still have the trampoline. (Effective communication is sometimes lacking or non-existent when one is married to a medical resident.)

The kids have spent a lot of time on it. They are exhausted. It is exhausting, really, even for me. They get great exercise with it, and so far, we haven't had any injuries. Hopefully the kids can be careful and I can be vigilant.

I love lying on it and looking at the sky and the tall trees looming over our house. I love reading books on it with my kids. I love watching them do "tricks". I love just sitting on it with my kids and talking. I always wanted one when I was little; now, I finally got one - and only for the price of a boat (a very small boat, that is).